Out with the old, in with the new: Muskegon's Plumbs Market to reopen as Great Lakes Fresh Market

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Closing its doors and selling its assets to Menominee-based L.M. Foods early last month, the new owners of the longtime local grocer Plumb Market in downtown Muskegon announced plans to reopen the 80-year-old store as Great Lakes Fresh Market following a revamp of the space at 1680 Apple Avenue.

“We are excited to bring the Great Lakes Fresh Market concept to the area,” L.M. Foods President Dan Gentz says in a statement last week.

Plumb’s other two locations in North Muskegon and Whitehall are also being operated by new owners at L.M. Foods, each store upgraded with improvements like state-of-the-art meat cases for maximum freshness and a wider selection of meat, a bakery, a deli, and produce offerings to keep up with modern grocery trends.

In downtown Muskegon, the renovated Great Lakes Fresh Market space will feature the same wider selection of meat, bakery, deli and produce items, but include additional upgrades that range from more organic and specialty wine options to an overhaul of its interior decor.

Named for the store’s new primary distributors, Great Lakes Foods, Gentz also says the new Great Lakes Fresh Market will hire a customer service specialist for good measure.

“As a customer, you can expect not only high quality produce, bakery, deli, and meat cut fresh in-store, but also the highest level customer service,” he says. “ A customer service specialist is being hired to ensure our patrons are taken care of. We want to be considered leaders in our community, so you can expect a high level of community involvement as well.”

Many of the Plumb Market employees were retained in the transition to Great Lakes Fresh Market, which is now in the process of training staff members in the delivery of consistent customer service — something the company considers as an often overlooked key factor to success as a small-town grocer.

“It was important to us to take care of the folks who have been with Plumb’s and who have been loyal to this community,” L.M. Foods owner Tom Kuber says. “Everyone has maintained their seniority, wages, and benefits. They’ve worked hard, they’ve been through a lot, and we’re happy to have them as part of the Great Lakes Fresh Market team.”

Written by Anya Zentmeyer, Development News Editor
Images courtesy of Great Lakes Fresh Market